Holsters intended for discretely carrying a defensive handgun have been in existence since guns were first made small enough for concealed carry. Today, such holsters are used by both plainclothes or off-duty police officers and by an increasing number of private citizens who have felt a need to take precautions to ensure their safety.
Most people who carry a handgun prefer to carry it at belt level, positioned on or slightly behind the strong side hip. A few prefer to carry the gun on or slightly in front of the weak side hip, commonly known as a crossdraw carry.
On of the most popular styles of concealment holsters is the inside waist band holster. Such holsters are worn inside the waist band of the wearer's pants, slightly behind the strong side hip, with only the upper lip of the holster and grip of the gun protruding from the pants. A belt clip or loop secures the holsters to the wearer's belt. The top of the holster is covered by a jacket, sweater, or an untucked shirt. This type of holster is especially popular with police, because the draw from this type of holster is very similar to the draw from a duty holster, providing for simplified training and practice.
To be truly useful, such a holster must be able to perform several functions well. First, it must be easily concealed to avoid unnecessarily alarming causal observers, which is accomplished in part by keeping the thickness of the holster's body to a minimum. Second, it must be comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Third, it must hold the gun securely in place. Fourth, it must provide quick access to the gun so that the wearer can respond properly to unexpected emergencies. All of the above functions are most easily accomplished when the holster is properly fitted for the gun to be carried.
Current holsters are generally one of two types: those precisely molded to the gun that they are intended to carry, and those intended to fit any gun within a certain size range. In the past, the first category has proven extremely popular for the most popular types of guns. However, it is important that such precisely molded holster bodies are configured to fit the needs of the user. Additionally, such types of holsters must be able to manufactured in a relatively quick and inexpensive manner. It is important to be able to make the holster suitably adaptable to the various needs of the users. The clips used to secure the holster body to the belt must be of interchangeable and adjustable type so that the various angles can be configured to fit the human body in the most appropriate manner possible.
In the past, various patents have issued relating to such holsters for handguns. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,671, issued on Oct. 8, 1991 to R. L. Else, teaches a quick-draw handgun holster which is contoured and designed to be worn beneath clothing in the abdominal area. The gun lies obliquely with its butt only extending angularly outwardly for engagement by lateral, substantially horizontal movement of the hand of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,958, issued on Feb. 4, 1997 to Ryan et al., teaches a competition holster. This holster has a belt loop assembly including mating partial spherical surfaces securing the holster body for universal spherical angular adjustment.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,089,432, issued on Jul. 18, 2000 to Gage et al., teaches a concealment holster constructed from a support member sandwiched between a glove and thumb break member and a paddle member having outwardly extending wings. The lower portion of the glove and thumb break and the wings are worn beneath the trousers of the wearer below the waist with the handgun enclosure extending above the waist of the trousers.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,092,703, issued on Jul. 25, 2000 to A. L. Johnson, teaches a holster having a reinforced front portion to prevent the holster from collapsing under pressure from the wearer's belt when the gun is drawn. The holster is formed of rigid leather and molded to conform to the specific gun intended to be carried. The reinforcement is particularly desirable for wear inside the waistband. A single central or rearward belt loop is provided with one mounted in the front and the other at the rear.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,079, issued on Jul. 24, 2001 to J. O. Skaggs, teaches a size adjustable holster for carrying a wide variety of handguns. The holster's body has a flat sheet with corresponding hook-and-loop fasteners on each side. A clip is attached to the body for securing the holster to the wearer's clothing.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,588,639, issued on Jul. 8, 2003 to Beletski et al., teaches a molded holster belt loop assembly with a shelf. The belt loop assembly has a tapered belt loop opening and a platform upon which the belt rests. The taper aids in fixedly positioning the assembly along the belt while the platform protects the belt from wear due to belt positioning screws.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a holster that is convenient and comfortable.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a holster which is suitably flexibly and adaptably adjusted to the human body and the needs of the particular user.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a holster that has clips that have a long life and avoid cracking.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a holster whereby the clips are secured to the body in a screw-less, efficient and secure manner.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a holster which is easy to use, relatively inexpensive, and easy to manufacture.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.